These starting pitchers could rescue the Mets after Griffin Canning’s injury

The New York Mets' rotation suffered an unfortunate setback on Thursday night when right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning awkwardly extended his calf and suffered a non-contact leg injury. He immediately went to the ground and was helped off the field midway through the third inning of New York's 4-0 victory over Atlanta.

After the game, Carlos Mendoza said the Mets believe it's an Achilles injury. That would presumably keep Canning out the rest of this season, potentially even for part of the 2026 campaign. With Canning's sudden absence there is a sizable hole in the middle of the Mets rotation — one David Stearns and the fornt office need to address as quickly as possible.

Canning posted a 3.77 ERA and 1.38 WHIP through 16 starts for the Mets, striking out 70 in 76.1 innings. Those were career-best numbers for the 29-year-old, who joined New York in the offseason after six years in Anaheim. He previously missed the entire 2022 season recovering from a stress fracture in his lower back, so Canning has more than his share of experience with rehab and injury setbacks. This just sucks.

Here are a few names the Mets can target as emergency replacements, with hopes that Canning can get back up to speed for the 2026 campaign.

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3. Charlie Morton, Baltimore Orioles

Charlie Morton has slowly worked his way back into form after a dreadful start to the campaign with the Baltimore Orioles. His overall numbers still look spooky — 5.63 ERA and 1.57 WHIP — but it has been much better over his last six appearances, all starts. Over that span, Morton has a 2.88 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 25.0 innings.

That is more in line with the Morton we've come to know over the years. Some regression was always in the cards at 41 years old, but Morton has been such a stabilizing force for a good Braves team. To watch him completely bottom out in Baltimore came as a shock. Now he's back, and the Mets should take interest in an affordable expiring contract with tons of valuable postseason experience.

Morton isn't a shutdown ace, but he can fill Canning's slot in the middle of the rotation and give a patchwork Mets rotation more of an identity. New York should be plenty familiar with what Morton brings to the table after facing him countless times in a Braves uniform. Deploying Morton to stretch their lead in the NL East would be something like poetry.

2. Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks

Merrill Kelly has been a paragon of consistency since coming over from the KBO in 2019. He has not been the Arizona Diamondbacks' best pitcher, but he has arguably been their most dependable. You know what you're getting here — a deep, varied arsenal of pitches, a solid strikeout clip, and indefatigable poise. Kelly was essential to Arizona's pennant run in 2023. He can help the Mets mount a similar run in 2025.

The 36-year-old has a 3.39 ERA and 1.05 WHIP through 16 starts with 93 strikeouts in 93.0 innings. Pitching has been an all-too-rare commodity in Arizona this season, but Kelly has risen above the noise to deliver consistent results for one of the National League's most disappointing teams. A free agent at season's end, it makes sense for Arizona to cash in on the significant respect Kelly garners around the league — especially at this stage of his career.

He's not a long-term staple, but even if it's a half-season rental, Kelly has what it takes to replace Canning and then some, potentially elevating a shaky Mets rotation once October rolls around. With Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill and Sean Manaea still on ice, Kelly an infuse the Mets rotation with much-needed stability.

1. Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals

Seth Lugo spent the majority of his career in a Mets uniform, so there's some built-in comfort with the environment in Queens. Since leaving the borough, however, Lugo has made the invaluable switch from high-leverage reliever to starter, without sacrificing his potency on the mound. The 35-year-old made his first All-Star berth last season and finished second in AL Cy Young voting, winning a Gold Glove, to boot.

It has been an impressive late-career reinvention for the Kansas City Royals righty, who uncorks a deep arsenal of pitches, including a nice cutter that avoids the meat of the bat and sets up his defense for success. Lugo won't pound the strike zone for punchouts, but he has five straight seasons with a sub-4.00 ERA, including a starting career-best of 2.93 this season. He doesn't cough up a lot of walks and he gets the job done, even if it's somewhat old-school to pitch to contact like Lugo does.

Again, Lugo is a veteran who probably doesn't have many top-shelf years left in the tank. He may end up as a short-term rental for the Mets. But for a team with such clear and immediate World Series aspirations, that is acceptable. Lugo would start important postseason games and give New York a much needed ace behind Kodai Senga in the pecking order.